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How to hire a commerical relief driver

Commerical relief driver hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring commerical relief drivers in the United States:

  • In the United States, the median cost per hire a commerical relief driver is $1,633.
  • It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
  • Human Resources use 15% of their expenses on recruitment on average.
  • On average, it takes around 12 weeks for a new commerical relief driver to become settled and show total productivity levels at work.

How to hire a commerical relief driver, step by step

To hire a commerical relief driver, you should create an ideal candidate profile, determine a budget, and post and promote your job. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to hire a commerical relief driver:

Here's a step-by-step commerical relief driver hiring guide:

  • Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
  • Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
  • Step 3: Make a budget
  • Step 4: Write a commerical relief driver job description
  • Step 5: Post your job
  • Step 6: Interview candidates
  • Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new commerical relief driver
  • Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist
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  1. Identify your hiring needs

    Before you post your commerical relief driver job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a commerical relief driver for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

    Determine employee vs contractor status
    Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

    A commerical relief driver's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, commerical relief drivers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

    This list presents commerical relief driver salaries for various positions.

    Type of Commerical Relief DriverDescriptionHourly rate
    Commerical Relief DriverHeavy and tractor–trailer truck drivers transport goods from one location to another. Most tractor–trailer drivers are long-haul drivers and operate trucks with a gross vehicle weight (GVW) capacity—that is, the combined weight of the vehicle, passengers, and cargo—exceeds 26,000 pounds... Show more$15-34
    Driver/MerchandiserA driver/merchandiser's role in society is to directly deliver products to customers on time, bearing good communication skills to interpret and relay messages and instructions. A driver/merchandiser is also tasked to check on the truck's condition, repair or replace damaged parts, and deliver it to reliable auto shops if the damage is severe... Show more$7-27
    Driver TrainerDriver trainers are instructors who teach their clients how to drive. They are often considered experts in driving, and they are credible enough to impart their driving knowledge to clients... Show more$14-33
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • CDL
    • DOT Regulations
    • Promotional Materials
    • Frequent Interaction
    • Delivery Vehicle
    • Federal Regulations
    • Tractor Trailer
    • Customer Service
    • GPS
    • Pre-trip
    • Load Trucks
    • Emergency Equipment
    • Customer Orders
    • Delivery Route
    Check all skills
    Responsibilities:
    • Lead a team to redesign the presentation of Pepsi products within a retail environment.
    • DOT pre/post trips and paper work
    • complete dot logs and accurate records for employer.
    • Operate dollies, rotate merchandise, complete future orders via Zonar.
    • Conduct daily pre-trip maintenance check on vehicle to ensure safety regulations and compliance.
    • Used GPS to navigate to each customers house to deliver their orders according to paperwork.
    More commerical relief driver duties
  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in your commerical relief driver job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A commerical relief driver salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

    For example, the average salary for a commerical relief driver in Louisiana may be lower than in Alaska, and an entry-level commerical relief driver usually earns less than a senior-level commerical relief driver. Additionally, a commerical relief driver with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

    Average commerical relief driver salary

    $48,271yearly

    $23.21 hourly rate

    Entry-level commerical relief driver salary
    $32,000 yearly salary
    Updated December 24, 2025

    Average commerical relief driver salary by state

    RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
    1Massachusetts$61,725$30
    2North Dakota$57,745$28
    3Connecticut$57,691$28
    4Rhode Island$57,401$28
    5New Hampshire$56,976$27
    6Vermont$56,579$27
    7Michigan$54,593$26
    8California$52,357$25
    9Pennsylvania$50,795$24
    10Colorado$50,292$24
    11Illinois$50,013$24
    12Ohio$49,162$24
    13Wisconsin$48,781$23
    14Indiana$48,178$23
    15Oklahoma$46,669$22
    16Missouri$44,908$22
    17Texas$44,444$21
    18New Mexico$43,265$21
    19Kentucky$43,131$21
    20Tennessee$42,619$20

    Average commerical relief driver salary by company

    RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rateJob openings
    1Kemps$54,034$25.98
    2Dairy Farmers of America$53,752$25.8469
    3Waste Management$51,396$24.7114
    4Sysco$50,981$24.51303
    5Pepsi Logistics$50,798$24.42
    6AE Dairy$50,631$24.341
    7Baker Commodities$50,191$24.139
    8Clean Harbors$49,136$23.62121
    9PepsiCo$48,371$23.26
    10Republic Services$43,701$21.01331
    11Gulf Distributing Holdings Llc$43,662$20.997
    12Green Mountain Coffee Roasters$42,596$20.48
    13CommunityHealthlink$39,790$19.13
  4. Writing a commerical relief driver job description

    A commerical relief driver job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a commerical relief driver job description:

    Commerical relief driver job description example

    We are Alsco Uniforms. We've been working hard for our customers since 1889 when we invented the uniform and linen rental industry. Alsco Uniforms has grown into a worldwide leader serving over 350,000 customers in 13 countries. It's our job every day to make every aspect of the customer experience better. Whatever our customers need, Alsco Uniforms finds the answers that work for them.

    Our employees are the heart and soul of Alsco Uniforms. As a result, we have a long history of strong financial performance, continuous improvement, and customer service. We're seeking driven professionals with ambition to grow within our company. We'd love to talk to you about how you can fit into our team of diverse individuals and how your hard work will be rewarded with competitive pay and benefits and ongoing career development.

    Join our team and build your career with Alsco Uniforms!

    Job Summary:
    The Route Relief/Utility RSR supports the Service Department in its objectives to meet our customers needs through up-selling/cross-selling and providing superior customer service. Main duties are to cover routes and perform service related tasks as required. Reports to the District Manager.

    Our full-time employees enjoy:

    401K Plan with Company Match

    Medical, Dental, Vision, FSA/HSA

    Life Insurance, Disability Insurance

    Vacation, Sick Time, Holidays

    Choice of Global Cash Card or Direct Deposit

    Career Advancement

    Learning & Development Opportunities

    Inclusive and Diverse Team Environment

    Essential Functions:
    - Perform all responsibilities of a Route Sales Representative and related tasks.
    - Learn and support all routes. Run routes as needed for holidays, vacations or other vacancies.
    - When not on a route, assist in rush deliveries, renewals, audits, training and any other tasks assigned by supervision.
    - Solicit new customers, up-sell/cross-sell/sample all lines of service or product and ensure a profitable product mix.
    - Actively participate in promotions and contests, training and audits.
    - Follow company policies/procedures regarding new customers, managing customer needs and all aspects of service.
    - Ensure customer loyalty and outstanding customer service. Build relationships, communicate openly, educate customers and proactively resolve concerns in cooperation with supervision.
    - Safely operate a delivery vehicle on each trip, following all applicable laws and company policy. Maintain vehicle cleanliness and perform regular vehicle inspections.
    - Handle and process customer payments. Keep route paperwork current.
    - Ensure timely and correct deliveries of complete textile loads, pick up soiled textiles and maintain proper inventories in accounts. Service items such as facility maintenance products.
    - Monitor and report competitive activity. Keep service agreements current and renewed.
    - Return from route and off load soiled textiles in the receiving area of facility.
    - Accurately prepare route paperwork and follow check-in procedures.
    - Follow written and verbal instructions and perform other tasks as directed by supervision.

    Additional Functions:
    - Support other service personnel as required by supervision.
    Qualifications:
    - Have and maintain a valid Drivers License, CDL when applicable.
    - Maintain a driving record free of chargeable accidents, speeding, safety or other violations.
    - Demonstrate excellent skills in the operation of vehicles and verifiable minimum one year experience of safe and successful driving.
    - Demonstrate excellent skills in customer service and route sales.
    - Excellent verbal/written communication skills in English, comprehend and follow direction and good time management skills and team player.
    - Recognize colors, sizes and types of product and count, add and subtract accurately.
    Education:
    - High School graduation or similar experience. Qualified drivers license.

    Travel Requirements:
    - Daily, by delivery vehicle within a route.

    Typical Environmental Conditions:
    - Operating vehicles on public roads, in and out of customer locations, loading areas of a typical industrial laundry facility, Service Center or depot.
    - Indoor and outdoor areas of a typical industrial facility.

    Typical Physical Activity:
    - Physical Demands - sitting, grasping, driving stooping, kneeling, reaching overhead, moving carts up to 500 lbs., lifting up to 75 lbs, standing, walking, writing, speaking, hearing.

    For a general description of benefits that are being offered for this position, please visit alsco.com/benefits.

    Alsco is an Affirmative Action/Equal Employment Opportunity Employer.

    Revised: 09/10/2021


    Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
    The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor's legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)
  5. Post your job

    To find the right commerical relief driver for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

    • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
    • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with commerical relief drivers they would recommend.
    • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit commerical relief drivers who meet your education requirements.
    • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.
    Post your job online:
    • Post your commerical relief driver job on Zippia to find and recruit commerical relief driver candidates who meet your exact specifications.
    • Use field-specific websites.
    • Post a job on free websites.
  6. Interview candidates

    During your first interview to recruit commerical relief drivers, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

    It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

    The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

  7. Send a job offer and onboard your new commerical relief driver

    Once you have selected a candidate for the commerical relief driver position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

    You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

    Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new commerical relief driver. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

  8. Go through the hiring process checklist

    • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
    • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
    • Define job responsibilities and requirements
    • Establish budget and timeline
    • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
    • Write job description
    • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
    • Promote the job internally
    • Process applications through applicant tracking system
    • Review resumes and cover letters
    • Shortlist candidates for screening
    • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
    • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
    • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
    • Conduct background checks on top candidates
    • Check references of top candidates
    • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
    • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
    • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
    • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
    • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
    • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)
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How much does it cost to hire a commerical relief driver?

Hiring a commerical relief driver comes with both the one-time cost per hire and ongoing costs. The cost of recruiting commerical relief drivers involves promoting the job and spending time conducting interviews. Ongoing costs include employee salary, training, benefits, insurance, and equipment. It is essential to consider the cost of commerical relief driver recruiting as well the ongoing costs of maintaining the new employee.

You can expect to pay around $48,271 per year for a commerical relief driver, as this is the median yearly salary nationally. This can vary depending on what state or city you're hiring in. If you're hiring for contract work or on a per-project basis, hourly rates for commerical relief drivers in the US typically range between $15 and $34 an hour.

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